Air-bag cleaning and buffing machine



Nov. 19, 1929. J. E. JOHNSON 1,735,903

AIR BAG CLEANING AND BUFFING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 19, 1929. J. E. JOHNSON 1,735,903

AIR BAG CLEANI NG AND BUFFING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15 .,,1 926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 No v. 19, 1929. 'I 1 J. E. JOHNSON 7 0 AIR BAG CLEANING-AND BUFFING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov; 19, 1929. J. EQJOHNSON 1,735,903

AIR BAG CLEANING AND BUFFING MACHINE 5118a Jan 15. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet '4 bags will be completely cleaned. The clean Patented Nov. 19, 1929 s'rnras PATENT, r; I

JOHN ERIC JOHNSON, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOR TO NEW HAVEN SHERARDIZING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT -AIR-BAG CLEANING AND BUFFING MACHINE Application filed January 15, 192 Serial no. 81,362.

I This invention relates to those machines which are designed for cleaning and buffing the outer surfaces of air inflated rubberbags of the type which are used in the manufacture of tires, more particularly in the curing of cord and balloon tires, such bags having exterior outlines that conform approximately to the interior of the tires.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple machine of this character on which air bags of different sizes may be easily placed and very rapidly and thoroughly cleaned. The machine illustrated as embodying the invention has a rotating table with fingers for receiving and holding the bags, the fingers being radially adjustable in order to fit bags of different diameters and the table being vertically adjustable to bring the bag surfaces into proper relation with the cleaning means. Mechanisms are provided for rotating the table at different speeds so as to expose the entire circumference of the bags tothe action of the cleaning means at such a rate that the ing means consists of a rapidly running endl'ess belt having a' surface "coated wlth hard faces of the bags. This belt passes around two pulleys, both of which are driven, and it is held against the bag surfaces by the pressure of a roll which is mounted on slides that are adjustable vertically and longitudinally so that the belt may by proper adjustments be a roller is adjustably mounted so as to sup-' port the bags beneath the locality where the cleaning belt is pressed against the bags;

Means, such as an air nozzle connectedfwith a blower, are provided for cleaning the belt of Particles P 1 1 ng. ep' ation,

In the accompanying drawings Fig; 1 shows a front'elevation of a'machine embodying the'invention. Fig. 2, on largerscale and with the caslng in section, shows a front elevation of the bag carrying table and its elevatin and rotat ng mechan sms, with the cleaning belt guided to rub outer surface rolls and the mechanism for. adjusting the rolls horizontally and vertically so that they may be positioned to cause the belt to clean the entire surface of the bag.

. The machine illustrated has a bed 1 with a column 2 near one end, a column 3 near" the other end, and a column 4 between those at I the. ends. Movable vertically on the lower part of the front of the intermediate column is a carriage 5; Rotatably connected with the lower part of this carriage is a screw 6that is threadedthrough a sleeve 7 at the end ofar bracket 8 which is fastened to the front of the intermediate column near the bed. On the upper end of this screw in the carriage is a bevel gear 9 engaged with a bevel gear 10 on the spindlell that at the front of the frame has a handwheel 12. By means of this hand wheel. and the gears and screw the carriage may be adjusted up and down on the front of p the colum The table 13 is attached to the upper end of I a vertical shaft 14 that is rotatably mounted in suitablebearings in the upper part of the carriage. On the lower end of this shaft in the carriage is a bevel gear 15 meshing with which is a bevel gear 16 on one end of a horizontal shaft. 17 that is mou'nt'edin thecarriage; On the other end of thishorizontal shaft is a gear 18 meshing with which is "an" intermediate gear 19 that is engaged by a gear 20.0n one end of a horizontal shaft 21 mount ed in the carriage. Fastened on this shaft 21 are gears 22 and 23 of different diameters, the former of which is engaged by a gear 24 and the latter is engaged by agear 25,- The gears 24 and '25- are' of different-diameters. The

gear 24 is fastened to a female clutch member 27 and the gear 25 is fastened to a female clutch member 28. These gears and clutch members-are loose on the horizontal shaft 26' which is mounted in the carriage.- Adapted to en age these clutch members are the male cluto members 29 and'30 which are provided witha grooved collar Bland are splined to ice V V the shaft 26. Engaging with this collar is a All of these parts are mounted onthe carriage so that they will be moved up and down with the table when the hand wheel '12 is, turned, without interfering with the rotation of the table- Y The: pulley 38: is connected a belt. 39 with a pulley 40 on' theshaft 1'1 that is mounted on the column 2:. The shaft ll also.

has a pulley 412: that is: connected by belt 43 with a pulley 44 on the shaft 45 mounted in a bearing; at the top of the column-2., on the shaft 45 is a pulley L6 that is connected by a belt 47 with a pulley '4r8fion the driving shaft i 49 that is mounted brackets 5 0:at. the top o-fthe column 3... On the: shaft, 49 andvconnected by anywel'l known type of clutch is a pulley 51 that may be belted to any conven ient source of driving power, for instance, an electric motor 52. By the mechanisms. above described thetable may :be raised: and lower-'- ed as required and maybe rota-tedat the de sired speed, whichis-relatively very low compared to the speed. of the driving shaft.

Oil the top of. the: table is a chuck designed tog-fit; into.- the air bagand hold" it onthe f table while being cleaned. This chuck -comprises aQ pa-i-r. of radially movable face. plates 53 that'have T-shaiped tongues-54 fitted into similarly shaped grooves 55. in the upper face of the table. At the side ends of these'plates V are angularly' flanged fingers 56 which are designed to tit again'stand, under the inner edge of the-airbag ,5? placed on the table #to be. cleaned, so as tosuppor t and hold the air bag position. from the; inner side, leaving the periphery of the bag unobstructedifi As the chuck fface; plates are movable radially outward according to the Gl'IZUIIQtQIS 'Of the bags, these fingers are pi-votally connected by studs 58 with the plates so-that they may be turned -to=conform to vthe arcs of the bags I fi i 'l iameters QTo ensure the" uniform. outward movement of the fingers the inner ends of the chuck plates are connected with each other :twoi'links 59 that are i hinged together b-yQastud {50, the head. of

which. is adapted to move in'the radial:

- T haped slot-'1 16-1 in the-upperface'. of the table-. Vvhenthe. plates are adjusted tothe necessary positions to hold the bag to be cleaned; they may beclainped in .placeby the studs and nuts 62. The airfba-g to be cleaned is placed over the tableand: its inner edge rested upon these fingers which have.

the column 2.

rocker arm. 71 connected to a weighted lever been properly adjustedfor the particular size of bag to be cleaned. 7 7

On one side below and adjacent to the edge of the'table is a roller 63 shaped to support I the airbag atthis locality. This .roller is slid-ably mounted on av rod 64 that-projects horizontally f-roni a vertically adjustable bar 65. that is. fastened to the side of the carriage by clamps 66. When these clamps are loos ened this supporting roller maybe raised or.

lowered, dependingonthe size of the air-bag that. is to be supported. As this roller is mounted on the carriage it moves up and downwith the table;

The cleaning belt 67 has one surface rough.-

ened, preferably by a, coating. of granular abrasive particles, and it passes areundi pulley 68 fastened on the driving shaftwli):

at the top of the column 3. and around a. pulleyfit): tight on the shaft 45 at the top of A tightener roll. 70; on a 72 at the top of column 4 is a-rrangedtogive 'the cleaningbelt the desired tension The rapidly running belt is pressed down against and guided over the surface of the bag to be cleaned, as the bag rotates slowly with the table, by a pressure roll 73. and

flanged belt guide roll 74. Thepressure roll v '7 iscarried bya fork 75' that has a limited;

oscillatory adjustment on a stud 76-; which .projectsQfmm a, vertical movable slide 752.. The deroll '(Tet is carried by-a'fork 78- that is at us whichis fulc-rumed on the stud i7 6. A screw 80; with a handle-8.1 is provided; for adj listing the fork and guide roll alongthe lever. At. the end of the other limb of the lever- .-1' s a counterbalancing weight. 82. The vertical adjustable slide Z7 is movable up-and down on away 83. formed on the front face; of Ia horizontally movable slide 8 L, On the edge of the slide 8% are rack teeth engaging with which are the-teeth-of apinion 86 fastened tothe spindle 87 of the hand wheel table along one limb of a. lever 79:

88 that is carried by a bracket 89 attached I to the vertical slide, Upon turning the hand wheel SSthesl-ide 77 carrying the pressure roll 73 and the guide roll 7 L may bemoved up and down on. theslideSE. Oil the upper edgeof an-arn-t90 that extends from the top ing with these teeth is a pinion 92 fastened 'Of'theQcolumn d-arerack teeth91. and engag to; the spindle 93eof theflliandwheelQi that is carried by a bracket 95'attached to the horizontal slide, Upon turning the hand wheel :94 the slides'carryingthe pressureand guide rolls may be-.adj isted-horizontally.

i A pipe 96 with'f nipples .97. maybe led from anysupply of air 'underpr'essure to aposi- 1 :tion, close to-the abrasive-surface: of thee-leaning belt. 67 for-the purpose of blowing fpartficles from the belt'and keeping itclean.

11A bag is placed upon the chi'ic'king arms. ofthe tablewith the sectionthat is in the plane of the'cleaning belt resting upon the I supporting roll, the roll and table being ad justed to the required height. The slides are.

adjusted to the position illustrated in Fig. 2,

After the upper outer quadrant of the bag has been cleaned by the belt entirely around its circumference the hand wheels are turned 7 and the slides adjusted to such posltions that the pressure roll will be on the inside of the bag as shown in Fig. 3. With the roll in this position the belt is caused to rub against and clean the inner upper quadrant of the bag. After the entire upper halfof the bag has been cleaned the slide carrying the pressure and guide rolls is lifted and the bag taken 0E and replaced in an inverted position on the table arms and supporting roll. Then the pressure and guide rolls are adjusted so that the belt will clean this section of the bag. By this means the entire effective surface of the bag may be rapidly abraded and cleaned and buffed by means of the cleaning belt.

The invention claimed is: v 1. A machine for cleaning air. bags comprising a table rotatable in a horizontal plane and having means for retaining the bag to be cleaned, mechanism for rotating the table, an endless abrasive belt supported above and movable across the top of the table, mechanism for causing the belt to travel continuously in one direction, rolls extending between the upper and lower sections of said 3. A machine -for cleaning air bags comprising a table rotatable in a horizontal plane and having means for retaining the bag to be cleaned, mechanism for rotating the table, an endless abrasive belt. supported above and movable across the top of the table, mechanism for causing the belt to travel continu-' ously in one direction, a pressure roll and a guide roll, extending between the upper and lower sections of said belt and adapted to positively engage and press the lower section ofthe belt downward, oscillatory supports for said rolls, said guide roll being horizontally adjustable on its support, a vertically adjustable slide carrying said oscillatorysupports, and a horizontally adjustable slide carrying said vertically adjustable slide.

' JOHN ERIC JOHNSON,

belt and adapted to positively engage and press the lower section of the belt downward, a vertically adjustable slide carrying said rolls, and a horizontally adjustable slide carrying the vertically adjustable slide, whereby the rolls may be located to guide said belt against the outer and inner periphery of a bag located on the table. V

2. A machine for cleaning air bags comprising a table rotatable in a horizontal plane and having means for retaining the bag to be cleaned, mechanism for rotating the table, an endless abrasive belt supported above and movable across the top of the table, mecha nism forcausing the belt to travel continuously in one direction, rolls extending between the upper and lower sections of said belt and adapted to positively engage and press the lower section of the belt downward,

oscillatory supports for said rolls,a vertically adjustable slide carrying said supports, and

vertically adjustable slide.

' a horizontally adjustable slide carrying said l 

